Sea Turtles

Two species of sea turtles are encountered at Braamspunt. In the early season, from January to May, mostly green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) are spotted, while from March to July the larger leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is encountered. Sadly the sea turtles on this beach are threatened by poaching and legal sand mining activities...

In 2013 a young green sea turtle was caught in a shrimp net by a fisherman. He removed the animal from the net, and kept it for a few days in a barrel of water to show it to the GHFS volunteers. The animal was immediately released at the request of the volunteers. Although green sea turtles are herbivorous when adults, they are carnivorous when they are young, and known to eat shrimp and jellyfish.

17th April 2013. A sea turtle came in from the shore but had to return back to the sea, because she couldn't climb up the steep ridge formed by the dredgers of the sand mining companies.

Sea turtle tracks

5th May 2013. Sea turtle tracks are very distinctive. It's possible to determine the species by looking at the tracks.

Egg shells...

19th May 2013. Another one that didn't make it...

More turtle tracks

2nd June 2013. See how close the sea turtles come to the fishermen's camps.

Turtle tracks near camp

2nd June 2013. According to the tracks, this sea turtle walked right next to these fishermen's camp.

Leatherback matriach killed for eggs.

14th July 2013. We saw the cadaver of a leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) from afar. Closer inspection revealed that she had been cut open, so poachers could get to her eggs. She must have been disturbed when looking for a nesting site and was probably killed when she tried to return to the ocean. The people who did this are monsters...

Egg shells and guts...

14th July 2013.

Green sea turtle

21st July 2013. A young green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) that was caught in a shrimp net, but later released back into the ocean.

Green sea turtle

21st July 2013. This young green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) was caught in a shrimp net. Luckily, the fisherman discover it in time and it was later released back into the ocean.

Leatherback carapace

28th July 2013. Part of the carapace of a leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). The Surinamese name is Aitkanti.

26th January 2014. We found a sea turtle skull near a fisherman's camp.

Sea turtle skull

9th February 2014. Sea turtle skull.

A poached nesting site

13th April 2014. This nest had been dug up and the eggs removed.

Sea turtle tracks and a dog

4th May 2014. Sea turtle tracks.

Sea turtle tracks

11th May 2014. Sea turtle tracks.

Another dead leatherback

18th May 2014. The remains are far gone. People mistook it for a dead manatee. From the side it's hard to determine what it was, but up front the distinctive carapace of the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is easy to see.